Page 47 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol IV

1348 berkshire encyclopedia of world history

historical thought, in which the subjective human con- Pueblo origins, gave a strikingly simple and direct ac-
structs, manipulates, and imposes meaning on place. count of his people, saying: “In the very beginning we
were one people. Then we divided into Summer people
Narratives as Present and Winter people; in the end we came together again as
Realities we are today” (Ortiz 1969, 29). Understanding this com-
Regarding the first point: the ways in which native peo- plex mythological statement involves research into Tewa
ples present themselves in remembered form are the language, myth, social structure, political governance,
myths of origin and legends of historical events consid- and religious ecology.That is, the myth provides insight
ered to have happened since humans arrived. The his- into the living social structures of San Juan Pueblo, and
toricity of myths and legends is a major stumbling block the myth provides formative insight into Puebloan under-
for most Western historians. For example, the Tewa an- standing of who they are as a people from the origin time
thropologist Alphonse Ortiz, in recounting the San Juan into their present homeland.

Drawing of an Inuit mask from Alaska of a supernatutral being that controlled the supply of
game. The carvings of seal attached to the mask suggest that the wearer of the mask seeked
to obtain supernatural help for a good seal hunt.